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North Tongu District Assembly makes strides in posting acceptance of teachers

North Tongu District Assembly makes strides in posting acceptance of teachers

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Ivy Setordjie

Date: 17-04-2019 Time: 11:04:16:am

The issue of several teachers refusing to accept postings to deprived communities in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region due to the long distances of kilometers they have to cover from the main towns to and from everyday to teach their pupils is gradually becoming a thing of the past. The problem which is compounded by the lack of decent accommodation facilities nearer to these schools is also being addressed by the District Assembly authorities in collaboration with the Education Directorate and Non-Governmental Organizations {NGOs) in education.

The situation is now different at the Ayiwata D.A. Basic School where the District Assembly has just inaugurated one of its new residential accommodation facilities for the teachers of the school from the District Development Fund {DDF} of the Assembly. The one-single room, five apartment facility with kitchen facilities is expected to house five teachers in the school.

One of the teachers, Winfred Sesi Agbenorhevi who spoke with JoyNews, said it became very difficult for them to go to school on daily basis due to the issues of long distances and decent accommodation challenges. According to him, when it rains the situation is very worrying to the teachers, preventing them from coming to school on such days.

“It was very difficult for us especially when it rains and we always have to walk through the mud with boots to school,” Mr. Agbenorhevi said.

He commended the District Chief Executive (DCE), Richard Collins Arku for making sure that they had a decent accommodation facility to enable them to teach with a peace of mind which also means that teaching and learning would improve in the rural communities.

The Assembly Member for the area, Mawuli Vorsah, also commended the DCE and the District Assembly for a job well done. He pleaded for a much more bigger poly tank to store rainwater since water is one of the major issues affecting residents in the various communities.

“We are very grateful for this kind of gesture but like Oliver Twist, we are pleading with the DCE, Mr. Richard Collins Arku to give us a bigger poly tank for the storage of rain water,” Mr. Vorsah pleaded.

He also asked that the school feeding program be brought to the school to help supplement the efforts of parents and guardians of the community. He also appealed for the posting of female teachers to the community to help mothers in the area to shape their girl children.

The five-room apartments with kitchens attached, according the DCE, Richard Collins Arku, would go a long way not only to enhance teaching and learning in the school but also encourage teachers to accept postings to the area. According to Mr. Arku, it became very necessary to build these apartments for the teachers after residents and the teachers complained about lack of a decent accommodation for the school.

He also advised the community to help the teachers in whatever way they can to make their stay very comfortable, adding that the move would give them the needed peace of mind to teach effectively and efficiently.

The DCE urged the residents and teachers to adopt a good maintenance culture of the facility so as to expand the lifespan of the building. Mr Arku urged the students to take their lessons seriously for a brighter future.

The school, which was built in 1947, serves several remote communities in the area.